This invention relates to electrical connection.
The invention is more particularly concerned with devices and methods for making connection to screening shields and braided sleeves, and with connectors including connection to an electrical shield of a wire.
In electrical connectors, couplings or the like having many screened wires, it can be very difficult to make effective electrical connection with the screening sleeves of the wires whilst retaining a compact configuration of the connector.
It is an object of the present invention to provide alternative electrical connection.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an assembly of an electrical wire including at least one conductor and a screening sleeve surrounding the conductor, and a connection device connected with the screening sleeve, the connection device having a tubular portion crimped securely about the screening sleeve to form a concave surface on a side of the portion facing the wire.
The connection device preferably includes an elongate support member extending rearwardly of the tubular portion. The elongate support member preferably has a concave surface facing the wire and the support member may be attached to the outside of the wire. The assembly preferably includes a grounding wire, a part of the grounding wire being crimped in the tubular portion of the connection device to make electrical connection with the screening sleeve. The assembly preferably includes an electrically-conductive housing and a plurality of screened electrical wires, the screen on each wire being electrically connected with the housing by a respective one of the connection devices. The connection devices may be electrically connected with the housing by respective grounding wires one end of which is crimped in the tubular portion of each connection device. The connection devices may be staggered along the length of the wires.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a connection device for an assembly according to the above one aspect of the invention.
According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical connector including an electrically-conductive housing, a bundle of a plurality of screened electrical wires and a plurality of grounding wires electrically connected at one end with the housing, the screen on each screened wire being electrically connected with a respective one of the grounding wires by means of a respective connection device having a forward tubular portion and a rearwardly-extending support member, the screen of each wire being separated from the wire and crimped with the opposite end of a respective grounding wire in the tubular portion of a connection device such as electrically to connect the screen with the grounding wire, the tubular portions being crimped into a substantially C-shape in section so that they lie closely against the wires with the support members extending rearwardly along the wires, and the support members being secured with the wires.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of making connection to a screening sleeve of a wire including the steps of separating a length of the sleeve from the conductor of the wire, threading a part at least of the length of the screening sleeve into a tubular portion of a connection device and crimping the tubular portion securely about the sleeve into a generally C-shape section having a concave surface facing the wire.
The connection device preferably includes an elongate support member extending rearwardly of the tubular portion, the method including the step of securing the elongate member against the wire. The method may include the step of inserting one end of a grounding wire in the connection device prior to crimping so that the grounding wire makes electrical connection with the screening sleeve.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a connection made by a method according to the above fourth aspect of the invention.
An electrical connector including a connection device, and its method of connection, according to the present invention, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.